[Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread

[hitbyambulance]

Washington, DC schools to remain closed until April 27.

more like "until November 2020"

[DOS=HIGH]

Pardon my male chauvinism here, but I can't help but suspect the entire hysteria over vast quantities of bog roll vanishing from store shelves and somehow being necessary to survive "shelter in place" orders due to the Commie flu has to be an almost entirely female-created problem.

OK, I'll bite... What does flushing non-flushable things down the toilet have to do with people hoarding toilet paper?

Because people hoarding TP forces people who don't have any, and unable to get some, resort to less than ideal alternatives.

[LawBeefaroni]

Stop flushing things that are not meant to be flushed

Do you want a breakdown of critical infrastructure? Because this is how you get a breakdown of critical infrastructure.

Facilities across California have already reported issues with their sewer collection systems, the state's Water Resources Control Board said.
Many cities in California use centralized sewage collection systems that rely on gravity and water flow to move along waste, according to regulators. Toilet paper dissolves in those systems, where as wipes and paper towels don't break down so easily.
"Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the state's Water Resources Control Board said in a news release.

Think I called this a few pages ago. As soon as I saw people stocking up on paper towels....

[LawBeefaroni]

Stop flushing things that are not meant to be flushed

Do you want a breakdown of critical infrastructure? Because this is how you get a breakdown of critical infrastructure.

Facilities across California have already reported issues with their sewer collection systems, the state's Water Resources Control Board said.
Many cities in California use centralized sewage collection systems that rely on gravity and water flow to move along waste, according to regulators. Toilet paper dissolves in those systems, where as wipes and paper towels don't break down so easily.
"Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the state's Water Resources Control Board said in a news release.

Think I called this a few pages ago. As soon as I saw people stocking up on paper towels.

People are so...what, short-sighted? Unable to process cause and effect? What's the proper term...

[naednek]

FWIW, 90% of the people you see wearing gloves don't even know how to take them off without contaminating themselves anyway.

I use my mouth to take them off. That's not how you do it?

[Daehawk]

Morons? Uneducated? Social buffoons? Common senseless?

[naednek]

My oddest mask/glove moment was when I made my Walgreens run earlier this week. Dude walking around wearing a mask had to pull it down to do facial recognition on his iPhone. I imagine putting your contaminated fingers on your garden variety paper mask isn't going to help too much.

Nope, I don't see that helping!

I saw 2 ladies with mask and puffing on their vape pens as they walked to the grocery store.

[Daehawk]

A guy in I think Athens TN went in with his mask on and bought some cigs..then robbed them and another place too. He was caught but I recall this is why masks in town were frowned upon.

[Daehawk]

Now theres 1 case in the county. They have no idea how long they've had it or where they got it or who they've contacted. All they say is the person is isolated at their own home now.

[dbt1949]

Obviously the more people that are tested the more that are going to show up.
Which explains why Africa has few reported cases so far.

[Smoove_B]

The doctor who helped defeat smallpox explains what's coming

Probably one of the best interviews I've read all week:

Now that we've missed the opportunity for early testing, is it too late for testing to make a difference?

Absolutely not. Tests would make a measurable difference. We should be doing a stochastic process random probability sample of the country to find out where the hell the virus really is. Because we don't know. Maybe Mississippi is reporting no cases because it's not looking. How would they know? Zimbabwe reports zero cases because they don't have testing capability, not because they don't have the virus. We need something that looks like a home pregnancy test, that you can do at home.

And:

How will we know when we’re through this?

The world is not going to begin to look normal until three things have happened. One, we figure out whether the distribution of this virus looks like an iceberg, which is one-seventh above the water, or a pyramid, where we see everything. If we're only seeing right now one-seventh of the actual disease because we're not testing enough, and we're just blind to it, then we're in a world of hurt. Two, we have a treatment that works, a vaccine or antiviral. And three, maybe most important, we begin to see large numbers of people—in particular nurses, home health care providers, doctors, policemen, firemen, and teachers who have had the disease—are immune, and we have tested them to know that they are not infectious any longer. And we have a system that identifies them, either a concert wristband or a card with their photograph and some kind of a stamp on it. Then we can be comfortable sending our children back to school, because we know the teacher is not infectious.

[hitbyambulance]

anyone have recommendations for clippers and scissors for self haircuts?

[mori]

This will ultimately be known as the year that sport never happened. No MLB, NFL, NHL, MLS, NBA, Olympics, and college sports. Most importantly no EURO 2020 which is being pushed back a year. Liverpool's league winning season is forever an asterisk . Listening to the Men in Blazers podcast opens a lot of questions about sport. Do you still honor player contracts? Do TV networks honor their contracts even though they don't get content? As MiB where saying, It is a whole lot easier shutting it down then starting it back up. I think it will be a lot of lets believe 2020 never happened and extend payments and contracts a year. What if people do not come back to sport? How do you start sport back up?

[Max Peck]

anyone have recommendations for clippers and scissors for self haircuts?

I use this.

[Kraken]

anyone have recommendations for clippers and scissors for self haircuts?

I use this.

I should get that. I hate haircuts and don't get them as often as I should.

[mori]

This is the end of my bald denying and just take a #2 and shave it all off. Probably just end up and shave bald and deal with the ugly dome shaming.

[Zaxxon]

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... break.html

[Jeff V]

This is the end of my bald denying and just take a #2 and shave it all off. Probably just end up and shave bald and deal with the ugly dome shaming.

Does an ugly do matter if you're sheltered in place and no one can see your shame?

[mori]

Stop flushing things that are not meant to be flushed

Do you want a breakdown of critical infrastructure? Because this is how you get a breakdown of critical infrastructure.

Facilities across California have already reported issues with their sewer collection systems, the state's Water Resources Control Board said.
Many cities in California use centralized sewage collection systems that rely on gravity and water flow to move along waste, according to regulators. Toilet paper dissolves in those systems, where as wipes and paper towels don't break down so easily.
"Flushing wipes, paper towels and similar products down toilets will clog sewers and cause backups and overflows at wastewater treatment facilities, creating an additional public health risk in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic," the state's Water Resources Control Board said in a news release.

Think I called this a few pages ago. As soon as I saw people stocking up on paper towels.

People are so...what, short-sighted? Unable to process cause and effect? What's the proper term...

And I say, if you gonna hoard, deal with the shit. Better yet your next door neighbors shit.

[Anonymous Bosch]

anyone have recommendations for clippers and scissors for self haircuts?

The Oster Fast Feed Adjustable Pivot Motor Clipper, The Wirecutter's upgrade pick for the best hair clippers for home Use:

A mid-priced pro-level option, the Oster Fast Feed, is worth it for anyone who wants to maintain buzz cuts and fades: It’s a classic found in many barber shops because it’s built to withstand all-day use for years on end. Its motor is extremely powerful and pleasingly quiet, and it can be used all day without heating up, which is not true of our other picks; its razors are sharp and easily replaced when needed. The Fast Feed’s thick plastic housing is lightweight but able to withstand drops, and the taper lever on the side is firm enough to hold tight, yet adjusts easily with a thumb. Its distinctive hum is instantly recognizable to anyone who has sat in a barber’s chair. A clipper like this may be worth the investment for a house full of people who need regular haircut maintenance.

[YellowKing]

My brother got laid off today. Worked for a screen printer whose major business is merchandise for - you guessed it - conventions, reunions, sports teams, and anything else you can imagine that involves a lot of people getting together for a shared purpose. It wasn't unexpected, but it still hurts. He got married in October and was quickly rising through the ranks there with a fairly promising career ahead of him.

[disarm]

You cannot put hoods on people (that would work) without giving them medical clearance to wear them. They also would need to be monitoring that they work and are being maintained properly. Wearing any type of SCBA is a pain in the ass and it potentially stresses your heart and respiratory system. I've also known people that didn't realize they were claustrophobic until they climbed inside an NBC suit or put a face mask on. They are miserable devices and should only be used for short term effort when necessary. I trained (and was certified to wear) NBC gear in the event of an emergency and I thank my lucky stars it was never required. Those suits are hell on earth.

I submitted my 5-page medical questionnaire this afternoon to get cleared for wearing a PAPR (full hood Powered Air Purifying Respirator) when I'm treating COVID patients at work...authorized any time I'm intubating these patients, or taking care of one in the operating room. There is a possibility that I'll be working in one for hours if a COVID patient winds up needing surgery.

I've trained in full suit PAPR gear in the past, like you need for nerve agent exposure, and it's not fun...uncomfortable, hot, horrible for claustrophobia, and makes communication very difficult. Unfortunately, I know that I'll probably be suiting up on a regular basis soon and don't look forward to it...but I'm grateful that my hospital has acquired them because they're the best protection we can have. As long as our PAPRs don't break down, I know that I can do most of my job safely, even once we run out of N95 masks.

[Lassr]

anyone have recommendations for clippers and scissors for self haircuts?

I bought these back in 2009 and they are still going strong.

[Daehawk]

Discovered today that Gatlinburg TN is still open for business mostly and theres crowds. the reporter showed one line of cars i na parking lot and there were about 8 states listed. What I leaned also is that if someone from those states gets infected in Gatlinburg its actually reported as an infection in their home state and not in Gatlinburg. I find that pretty stupid.

Then saw China is saying if they dont get a new infection for two weeks they go back to fully normal. that also sound really dumb. I mean just takes 1 person who has it to start it all over again.

Also my life really hasn't changed other than I worry about having to go to town because Im running out of something I cant find in stock any longer. The no sports and being home all the time alone is normal for me.

[em2nought]

I use Wahl. I think I've gone through about three $25 models since 1992. So about a $2.50 a year plus electricity.

I use it to pre-shave my beard after I've been too lazy to shave too.

[Daehawk]

First TN death was in Nashville today.

According to the health department, the victim was a 73-year-old man with underlying health conditions.

“This is a tragic loss of life, and we extend our heartfelt condolences with the family,” said Mayor John Cooper. “Even though the majority of people diagnosed with COVID-19 have experienced mild symptoms, we know that the virus can be life-threatening, and we need everyone to take steps to protect themselves and each other.”

[Max Peck]

Ottawa Public Health is now providing data for confirmed/presumptive infections. Athough the restrictive testing criteria means that there are many more (hundreds if not thousands) of cases in the community, hiding amongst the cases of colds, flu and hay fever, it's interesting to note that of the ones that have been picked up (most, if not all, travel-related from what I've seen in the provincial daily data dumps), the most recent onset date is 14 March, which correlates to when the local social distancing initiative kicked in to high gear. While it's still early days and this is a tiny data set, I'm cautiously hopeful that it reflects that social distancing is having an impact.

[Unagi]

Well. I mean, you know you can’t read that graph like that.


The number of confirmed cases simply isn’t expected to level off on the day social distancing initiatives are begun in earnest.
To point that out seemed weird (for a sharp guy like you), so I’m likely missing some nuance to your point.


At first we expect to see “The rate of increasement” to lower.

Meaning it will still increase, just not as much.

[Skinypupy]

First TN death was in Nashville today.

According to the health department, the victim was a 73-year-old man with underlying health conditions.

“This is a tragic loss of life, and we extend our heartfelt condolences with the family,” said Mayor John Cooper. “Even though the majority of people diagnosed with COVID-19 have experienced mild symptoms, we know that the virus can be life-threatening, and we need everyone to take steps to protect themselves and each other.”

My brother is an anesthesiologist in Nashville. Said earlier this week hat they had the first case at his hospital. Otherwise perfectly healthy 52 year old, who got so bad they had to send him somewhere else,

I think it rattled him a bit,

[Kasey Chang]

China thought they turned the corner when they reported only 18 cases in 24 hours. Next day, 38 cases. Now they're at 126 new cases (as of 3/19 10AM and 24 hours before that). South Korea, however, is holding the line at 236 cases in 24 hours.

Italy is at 5322 cases (in 24 hours!) and Spain 3431, Germany 2801, France 1834. It's pretty obvious this thing is all over Europe, and the countries that show 0 just hadn't tested for them yet.

Iran seems to be slowing down somewhat, at 1046.

US is reporting 30+% gains in new cases due to wider testing. 3355 new cases as of 3/19. CDC numbers as of yesterday is 15219... and they don't update during the weekend. Would NOT be surprised to see numbers hit 25000 by Monday or Tuesday. At least CDC is allowing third-party testing now. I think they are allowing a company to start taking orders for their testing kit, but I can't find that bit of news right now. Someone is licensing the Chinese test kit to be produced in the US.

[Zarathud]

Who knew that lawyers would be deemed essential services in Illinois?

[Max Peck]

Well. I mean, you know you can’t read that graph like that.


The number of confirmed cases simply isn’t expected to level off on the day social distancing initiatives are begun in earnest.
To point that out seemed weird (for a sharp guy like you), so I’m likely missing some nuance to your point.


At first we expect to see “The rate of increasement” to lower.

Meaning it will still increase, just not as much.

You need to understand that sometimes I think out loud, and at the moment "thinking out loud" is, well, this...

This data is slightly more interesting than tracking detection rate because they've extrapolated back to the onset date (earliest of symptom onset, testing date or reporting date). Given the still-restrictive testing criteria and the fact that the current known cases seem to be mostly travel-related, it is more likely that if this is anything other than a statistical fluke, it more directly reflects the sharp decrease in international travel, since the triage protocol means that international travel + symptoms will get you tested. Also, the OPH data is running behind the provincial testing data, given that my rough running tally from the provincial daily public data shows more cases here than OPH is reflecting, with the newest local case detected in the last day and flagged as "close contact". Anyway, the interesting thing to me was not that the curve goes flat (it is obviously not going to stay flat), it's that there is a clear inflection in the slope that correlates with the implementation of social distancing practices and travel restrictions. And yes, correlation does not equal causation, but since I'm doing this to distract myself from the still oncoming storm, I'm leaving myself a little space for optimism.

Or it's just a statistical fluke. You go to war with the data you have, not the data you want. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If nothing else, it's interesting that OPH is releasing this data to the general public. It's a bit more transparent than simply sending out daily updates on the number of new cases or just providing the cumulative number of cases, as seems to be the more common practice.

[Jaymann]

I think social distancing is going to profoundly change society. When one cough or sneeze can be a death sentence, I don't think we will go back to handshakes or embraces anytime soon.

[Jeff V]

Who knew that lawyers would be deemed essential services in Illinois?

I think the list of non-essential jobs consists of shoe-shine boys, Andy Frain ushers, and toll booth attendants. The rest is business as usual. My company has been deemed "essential" in every state that's enacted shelter-in-place rules.

[Smoove_B]

I'm grateful that my hospital has acquired them because they're the best protection we can have. As long as our PAPRs don't break down, I know that I can do most of my job safely, even once we run out of N95 masks.

In the days and months to come, I genuinely believe we're collectively going to come to realize just how much medical front-line workers shouldered during all of this.



Stay safe.

[Blackhawk]

US is reporting 30+% gains in new cases due to wider testing. 3355 new cases as of 3/19. CDC numbers as of yesterday is 15219... and they don't update during the weekend. Would NOT be surprised to see numbers hit 25000 by Monday or Tuesday.

Yesterday we had 5,594 new cases. We're sitting at 19,956 total right now. We'll be at 25,000 before dinner.

[LawBeefaroni]

Who knew that lawyers would be deemed essential services in Illinois?

I think the list of non-essential jobs consists of shoe-shine boys, Andy Frain ushers, and toll booth attendants. The rest is business as usual. My company has been deemed "essential" in every state that's enacted shelter-in-place rules.

My employer is essential. But those of us not directly involved in patient care need to get the f out of the way. Just being on-campus is another potential vector so we're at home doing the best we can to take the pressure off. I was on the phone last night with a hospice arranging radiation treatment for a cancer patient (yeah, apparently other care must go on) so nurses that usually have to deal with that shit wouldn't have to. Friday nights are going to be different for a while.

One of our medical directors moved out of he house so as not to put her husband and daughter at risk every night when she came home. If she even bothered to go home after an 18 hour day, that is.

[Max Peck]

I think social distancing is going to profoundly change society. When one cough or sneeze can be a death sentence, I don't think we will go back to handshakes or embraces anytime soon.

One cough or sneeze isn't really a death sentence, though. The problem isn't so much that the disease is deadly, it's that with no herd immunity we'd be looking at having all the cases happening at the same time and the relatively small fraction of cases that require medical intervention would overwhelm the healthcare system due to the huge number of simultaneous cases.

I think that the really significant change when we come out the other side of this will be that working from home will be much more prevalent going forward. Once we develop herd immunity, though, I think that most people will happily revert to handshakes and hugs. Until the next new bug comes along and we do this all over again.

[Daehawk]

US has had nearly 300 deaths. We have almost as many cases as Germany but about 8 times the deaths or more.

[Kasey Chang]

US has had nearly 300 deaths. We have almost as many cases as Germany but about 8 times the deaths or more.

What that really means is we didn't test enough, and our actual case numbers are 8x of Germany's.